Khama isolated because of his outspokenness!

Botswana President Ian Khama said he believed that he was being isolated within the Southern African Development Community because of his outspokenness.

Khama was seen as a staunch supporter of Movement for Democratic Change leader and Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai.

He said he believed that the only solution to Zimbabwe’s problems was internationally supervised elections.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 08HARARE1037, NOTES ON TSVANGIRAI, KHAMA

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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3713

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C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 001037

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STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS

STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2018

TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PHUM ZI

SUBJECT: NOTES ON TSVANGIRAI, KHAMA

Classified By: Ambassador James D. McGee for reason 1.4 (d)

¶1. (U) The Ambassador attended a meeting November 20 of

donor Heads of Mission. The following information was shared:

¶2. (SBU) MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai was well received

in Strasbourg at the European Development Days conference.

He met with EC Commissioner Louis Michel and the AU’s Jean

Ping and addressed the closing ceremony on the political and

humanitarian crises. Tsvangirai is expected in South Africa

on Saturday to speak with the Elders delegation planning a

visit to Zimbabwe (Graca Machal, Kofi Annan and Jimmy

Carter). (NOTE: The government press is reporting that the

GOZ is investigating Tsvangirai for immigration violations,

alleging that his emergency travel document is good for

travel only to South Africa and Swaziland. There is no

indication that the government is about to issue him a

passport. The government press is also reporting that the

Elders will not be welcome in Zimbabwe at this time. END

NOTE.)

¶3. (C) The new Canadian ambassador to Zimbabwe is also

responsible for Botswana and presented her credentials to

President Ian Khama this week. Khama told her that SADC had

scheduled the Extraordinary Summit to exclude him since the

secretariat knew he was in the U.S. on private wildlife

conservation business. He believed that the only solution to

Zimbabwe was internationally supervised elections. He

admitted that his outspokenness is leading to his isolation

within SADC.

McGee

(46 VIEWS)